1. Field of the Invention
The present invention deals with novel, surfactants, specifically quats, based upon highly branched guerbet acids. The term "quats" is a shorthand for quaternary compounds.
2. Description of the Art Practices
Guerbet alcohols have been known for many years. Over the years there have been a number of derivatives patented. These materials can be oxidized into acids, which are raw materials for the preparation of the specific complex esters of the present invention. They possess the critical regiospecific guerbet linkage which when placed into amidoamine compounds and quats derived therefrom result in unexpected improvements in both liquidity oxidative stability.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,121 to O'Lenick, incorporated herein by reference, discloses di-guerbet esters based upon the reaction product of both a guerbet acid and a guerbet alcohol. The guerbet acids of that invention are raw materials used in the preparation of the compounds of the present invention.